


Young Blood

by ClarasTeaCup



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: Drabble, F/M, Ficlet, Post-Mockingjay
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-15 13:29:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3448907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClarasTeaCup/pseuds/ClarasTeaCup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post-Mockingjay. Katniss takes Peeta on a tour through the woods of District 12.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Young Blood

**Author's Note:**

> Hello,  
> Another repost of a fanfic of mine from fanfiction.net  
> An overworked Edition of the Fic I have written in 2011.

The bittersweet between my teeth  
Trying to find the in-betweens  
Fall back in love eventually

* * *

**Young Blood**

I grabbed Peeta's hand and pulled him out of the armchair he sat in to read the newspaper in our new house.  
It had been 3 months since we, like the most people that had searched cover in District 13, had returned into our old Districts.

Out of the ruins we had built a new and better District 12. 

Today we would not work in the hot sun; I had planned something different for Peeta and myself.

Luckily Peeta had almost returned to his past self, after the rebellion won against the capitol, but from time to time he still mistook the things, the capitol has made him believe, for real, so I had made it my duty to help him replace the false memories with the truth.

A few days ago Peeta had another "Capitol fit", as Haymitch chosed to call it, as we set up the new fence to the forest, this time to protect the people from actual animal attacks, with actual working electricity.

We had been near my old house at the edge to the forest as Peeta had told me that I had been to planning to escape with Gale before I had been reaped for the games, that Gale and I had been searching the forest for holes, caves or anything to flee the district.

Of course I had denied it, but I could see that still Peeta didn't trust me like he did before the Capitol had brainwashed him.

I hated the feeling the he didn't trust me as much anymore.  
Now with Gale gone, I had no friend to turn to. I needed Peeta to trust me; otherwise I would go insane pretty fast.

So I made a plan to get Peeta to trust me again, today I would show him the forest I pretty much grew up in, I would show him the places where Gale and I used to hunt and I might even would show him the lake where my father used to take me, when I was little.

Peeta followed me out of the door hesitating, I didn't blame him, he was trying to trust me, but he still had his problem to do so.

Together, we slipped out the metal gate, that we had built to enter the forest and made our way into the woods.

He asked me what I was doing, but I simply smiled at him. He would find out soon enough.  
There it was, the meadow, where Gale and I used to spend so much time together, without thinking I let go of Peeta's hand and sprinted up the hill into the bright sunlight.

I heard Peeta shouting my name somewhere behind me as he clumsily followed me.

It took him a few moments to join me, but he did he stopped beside me and let go of a deep breath.

"It's beautiful here", he said, taking in the view infront of him.

I nodded,  
"Yeah, it is. Gale and I used to come here almost every day. Not to plan an escape, by the way, but to talk."

Somehow it felt right to show him one of my personal places.

"What did you talk about?"

My eyes flickered to the baker's son.

"We talked about our families, school, our hunting or the Capitol. In this place we always felt safe, as if we were the only people in the world. No Capitol listening to our thoughts. We could be us. Just us."

Peeta's eyes met mine; I could see that the truth replaced the lie.

"Thank you Katniss, for bringing me here."

I shook my head and answered him "This is not the only place I wanted to show you."

My hands found his and we walked in a comfortable silence farther into the forest.

To my surprise Peeta seemed quite alright to walk beside me into the woods where I, for all he knew, could kill him.

I grew up here, every tree was familiar to me, but in case Peeta decided to not trust me and set off alone, he would be lost.

It only took us another ten minutes of walk to reach the place that was probably one of the most valuable memories to me.

The lake my father had showed me, where the birds had stopped their songs when my father started humming.

I took a look around; the place did not look the same as I remembered. Plants and flowers were gone, that was probably Gale when he had led the people of District 12 here when the bombs had started.

The damage was thankfully not beyond repair, with a little time and care this place would soon look just the same.

"What is this place?"

I heard Peeta at my left. I did not answer him; instead I lay down my bow and jacket in the soft green grass and jumped into the crystal blue water in front of me.

The water felt great, warm but yet cool.

When I came up on the surface I could hear Peeta laughing, it was an odd sound to hear, I had only heard him laugh a handful of times since I knew him,  
usually it had been fake laughter, but this one was a honest amusement.

"What's so funny?" I smiled at him.

"I have never seen you so care free. I like it."

That was an answer I had not expected. Was I really always that serious as people made me out to be?   
No, I had been more or less care free once, when there were no Hunger Games and no worry that my family and I would starve.

"Well, I have never seen you laugh like that before."

"Touché"

I laughed even more. It was right to bring him here; this day will change him for good, I thought.   
One less secret I had to hide from him.

"How about joining me? Don't worry I won't let you drown."

I knew Peeta never learned to swim, but maybe, if he really started to trust me, he would come in. I might be able to teach him.

"I don't know Katniss. Now that I'm almost completely healed, I don't want to risk my life by drowning."

"I won't let you drown, I promise, I could try to teach you how to swim, you know."

I saw a battle of emotions on his face. In the end his trust for me won and he slowly let himself slide into the water.   
I quickly swam over to hold him.

"I didn't think you would come in." I whispered honestly.

"Me neither, but have the feeling I do can trust you now."

The genuine smile on his face was enough, I did it, Peeta trusted me again.

* * *

_We lie beneath the stars at night_  
_Our hands gripping each other tight_  
_You keep my secrets hope to die_  
_Promises, swear them to the sky_


End file.
